Supersize your chest, back, arms and shoulders while stripping away belly fat with this upper-body arm and chest workout.
Working one main muscle group per workout – known as a body-part split – might have been the gold standard for the golden age of bodybuilding, but if you can only train a couple of times per week you need a more efficient approach to get maximum bang for your buck. Grab your best dumbbells and get ready to work your entire upper body with this arm and chest workout.
The six-move circuit targets all your major upper-body muscle groups, including your arms, chest, back and shoulders, using different angles and rep ranges to recruit and fatigue as many muscle fibres as possible, so they’re rebuilt bigger and stronger.
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How to perform this arm and chest workout
- This is a six-move session made up of 2 straight sets then 2 supersets
- Do all reps of move 1, sticking to the sets, reps and rest shown, then do all sets of move 2
- Then do moves 3a and 3b as a superset, and the same again for moves 4a and 4b
The exercises in this arm and chest workout
1. Bench press (reps: 8 | sets: 5)
2. Chin-ups (reps: 5-8 | sets: 5)
3a. Incline dumbbell bicep curls (reps: 12 | sets: 4)
3b. Incline dumbbell flyes (reps: 12 | sets: 4)
4a. Cable rope overhead extensions (reps: 15 | sets: 4)
4b. Cable cross-overs (reps: 15 | sets: 4)
1. Bench press
| Reps | 8 |
| Rest | 60 sec |
| Sets | 5 |
Why we like it: There’s a reason why the bench press is the classic big lift for building a bigger, stronger and wider chest. It’s a foundation move for everything from improved functional strength and muscle development to increased bone density and muscular endurance.
How to do bench presses:
- Lie flat on a bench holding a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
- Plant your heels on the floor, tense your glutes and core, then lower the bar to your chest and press it back up
2. Chin-ups
| Reps | 5-8 |
| Rest | 60 sec |
| Sets | 5 |
Why we like it: One of the best bodyweight moves for bigger arms, and one that also works your entire upper back, the chin-up has a place in every man’s workout repertoire. Improved grip strength is just one of its many added benefits.
How to do chin-ups:
- Hang from a bar with a shoulder-width underhand grip
- Engage your abs and glutes and, keeping your chest up, pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar
- Pause in this position, then slowly lower yourself back to the start
3a. Incline dumbbell bicep curls
| Reps | 12 |
| Rest | 30 sec |
| Sets | 4 |
Why we like it: We love the incline version of this move because it has superior biceps brachii activation, due to the position of your elbow in relation to your shoulder. It’s great for levelling up long head development, as this is often comparatively worse for many lifters than their short head. Starting with your arms behind your torso increases the range of motion.
How to do incline dumbbell bicep curls:
- Lie back on a incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand and arms straight
- Keeping your elbows in position, curl the weights up to shoulder height and squeeze your biceps
- Slowly lower back to the start
3b. Incline dumbbell flyes
| Reps | 12 |
| Rest | 60 sec |
| Sets | 4 |
Why we like it: Performing dumbbell flyes on an incline emphasizes the anterior deltoids more than a regular flye. It works your upper and outer pecs to build a broader chest, improves shoulder joint flexibility and offers enhanced activation of your stabilizer muscles.
How to do incline dumbbell flyes:
- Lie back on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight and palms facing.
- With your chest up and a slight bend in your elbows, lower the weights out to the sides until you feel a good stretch across your chest, then raise them back to the start.
NOTE: For the final superset in this arm and chest workout, if you don’t have access to a cable machine, superset Diamond Press-Ups with Wide Press-Ups instead. Aim for 10-15 reps of each, rest for 60 secs, and repeat 3 times.
4a. Cable rope overhead extensions
| Reps | 15 |
| Rest | 30 sec |
| Sets | 4 |
Why we like it: This move works your triceps through a full range of motion, and the cable forces your muscles to work hard in both the lifting and lowering phases.
How to do cable rope overhead extensions:
- Stand tall, holding a double-rope handle attached to the low pulley of a cable machine
- Turn to face away, bringing your hands up to your head
- Keeping your elbows still and pointing up, press the handles up and forwards to straighten your arms
- Flex your triceps at the top, then return to the start
4b. Cable cross-overs
| Reps | 15 |
| Rest | 60 sec |
| Sets | 4 |
Why we like it: Cable cross-overs isolate the chest muscles and hits the inner and outer sections of the pecs. Plus you’re getting constant tension throughout the entire range of motion, which makes for more efficient and effective strength training.
How to do cable cross-overs:
- Stand tall in the middle of a cable machine, holding a D-handle in each hand attached to the high pulley
- With a slight bend in your elbows, bring your hands down and in so they cross in front of your body
- Pause for a second, then reverse the move to the start
The JX Fitness Door Frame Pull-Up Bar is easy and unobtrusive way to get your regular chin-up exercises in:
